São Paulo ex‑city officials investigated in R$1 billion air‑conditioning contract fraud

The Special Action Group against Organized Crime (Gaeco) of the São Paulo Public Prosecutor’s Office launched Operation Ar Frio on 7 March, executing search warrants against two former municipal employees – Vinícius Felipe Moreno, former aide at the Secretariat of Infrastructure and Works, and Bruno Conrado do Espírito Santo, former procurement coordinator for the Subprefectures. Both were exonerated in March after allegations that they steered public procurement for air‑conditioning systems valued at about R$1 billion between 2022 and 2025, favoring specific companies in exchange for bribes. Investigators seized approximately R$100 000 in cash, mobile phones and other evidence, and noted a mismatch between the officials’ declared salaries and the assets they held, suggesting the use of “front‑people” to conceal illicit wealth. The São Paulo City Hall stressed that the municipality and its secretariats are not subjects of the probe, and it has referred the matter to the prosecutor’s office. The case is being examined for active and passive corruption, bid‑rigging and money‑laundering offences.